Is Propecia Really safe?

[WarLord]

Current evidence suggests propecia is safe. It has a long history and the sides statistically speaking are minor. That being said I would not want to use it long term and I completely understand men doing nothing and doctors not wanting to prescribe it. Its just a fact what DHT does is largely unknown but it is found all over.
Do no harm should be everyone motto so messing with a hormone we clearly dont understand should be avoided by anyone with common sense. We could easily find out next week DHT plays a crucial role in something we never knew about

You can make a research in all those 100.000 pseudoherms from the Dominacan republic. They completely lack 5-AR2. But they mysteriously survive somehow.

[WarLord]

A lot of physical and psychological problems aren't "provable". Do you tell people with depression that you aren't able to take them seriously?

Not people suffering from depression caused by finasteride. I don't take these reports seriously anymore, because the whole issue became grotesque. Go figure, several days ago I read a post from a guy "suffering from ball ache" after minoxidil. Forums like this contain 90% thrash and only 10% useful information.

[chrisis]

The problem is that almost all these "side effects" are "feelings" and are unprovable. If your penis fell off, then we would have some evidence. But claims that you suffer from impotence or a lack of libido can't simply be taken as any proof.

A lot of physical and psychological problems aren't "provable". Do you tell people with depression that you aren't able to take them seriously?

[WarLord]

Warlord you're an idiot. You on Propecia's payroll?? It's FACT Propecia has been known to cause sexual side effects or sides effects in general in certain men. I understand that those that experienced them tend to make their voice heard louder than those that don't, but to dismiss it as false, untrue, or in their minds is blatantly wrong.

Your rambling attempt at forming a point above is insulting and paints the picture to others you are a naive fool. I myself have experienced side effects from Propecia but that doesn't mean Jack across the street will. Propecia is a powerful drug that can yeild fantastic results for many users. I don't dismiss that. BUT that doesn't change the fact that Propecia unfortunately clearly caused side effects for me personally. Somebody claiming they had sides doesn't make them insane or a liar.

The problem is that almost all these "side effects" are "feelings" and are unprovable. If your penis fell off, then we would have some evidence. But claims that you suffer from impotence or a lack of libido can't simply be taken as any proof.

[burtandernie]

Current evidence suggests propecia is safe. It has a long history and the sides statistically speaking are minor. That being said I would not want to use it long term and I completely understand men doing nothing and doctors not wanting to prescribe it. Its just a fact what DHT does is largely unknown but it is found all over.
Do no harm should be everyone motto so messing with a hormone we clearly dont understand should be avoided by anyone with common sense. We could easily find out next week DHT plays a crucial role in something we never knew about

[chrisis]

I myself have experienced side effects from Propecia but that doesn't mean Jack across the street will. Propecia is a powerful drug that can yeild fantastic results for many users. I don't dismiss that. BUT that doesn't change the fact that Propecia unfortunately clearly caused side effects for me personally. Somebody claiming they had sides doesn't make them insane or a liar.

This is exactly how I feel, however unfortunately this community prefers to villainise sufferers.

[StayThick]

The vast majority of men reporting "side effects" from finasteride is just making them up in their neurotic minds. In recent years, the flood of all those absurd "side effects" ceases to be funny. Consider that some psychotic donkeys start to report impotence even after minoxidil.

Warlord you're an idiot. You on Propecia's payroll?? It's FACT Propecia has been known to cause sexual side effects or sides effects in general in certain men. I understand that those that experienced them tend to make their voice heard louder than those that don't, but to dismiss it as false, untrue, or in their minds is blatantly wrong.

Your rambling attempt at forming a point above is insulting and paints the picture to others you are a naive fool. I myself have experienced side effects from Propecia but that doesn't mean Jack across the street will. Propecia is a powerful drug that can yeild fantastic results for many users. I don't dismiss that. BUT that doesn't change the fact that Propecia unfortunately clearly caused side effects for me personally. Somebody claiming they had sides doesn't make them insane or a liar.

[jorbie]

Wow....sorry if I touched a nerve Warlord. Why are you so defensive? Geez...is that kind of behavior appropriate?

I haven't posted in this forum before...but its time I told my story. A few years ago I started taking Propecia after noticing some thinning of my hair. I did my research - checked out the Propecia website, read the insert front to back (I have done that for every drug I've ever taken) and started taking 1 mg a day with little worry. The insert said that in the small percentage of men that experience side effects, just stop taking the drug and they will go away. Before taking this, I was the picture of health - mental and physical. I had a strong libido, and never had any mental health issues. As I write this, I am in the middle of my second year of pure hell. I have a penis that no longer has sensation, and while I can get erections sometimes, I have no desire for sex. I only masturbate now once a week - on a good week - and have no real desire to date anymore. I occasionally try to go out - but it always ends up frustrating me because that familiar tingle I used get, that sexual energy coursing through my body - is no longer there - so I will kiss the girl on the cheek and say goodnight. As harsh as it may sound - I don't think its far from the truth - PFS is essentially chemical castration. Read about Depo Provera - the drug they give pedophiles to castrate them - and the side effects are very similar. The only thing - Depo Provera side effects go away when you stop taking it. Ironic.....
Every morning I wake up and the first thing I do is reach down and touch my genitals. I keep thinking that this is all a bad dream, and maybe THIS is the morning I will wake up and everything will go back to normal. I've contemplated suicide, and despite a great career, wonderful family and supportive friends, I'm afraid someday I might actually follow through with it. PFS has to be one of the cruelest fates that can be bestowed upon a young man - yet that is exactly the market for this poison. At some point a critical mass will be reached, so many young men will be made sick that all the Trolls in the world won't be able to silence their suffering, and when that day comes, I hope justice will be served to the company that knowingly sold a medicine that causes permanent damage in some men, and they sold that drug without warnings of such permanent damage. My hope is that at least one man will read this and not make the same tragic mistake I made years ago. This drug is like playing Russian Roulette with your health - is that a risk you want to take for hair?

[WarLord]

Charger- I've seen you on this forum before. You were bashing another doctor who claimed he had seen many men with long-term side effects due to Propecia. And you ripped him apart. Why doesn't his opinion matter, yet this Dr. Haber, who is pro-Propecia, get your utmost respect? If I didn't know better - I would think you had an agenda....

Has your penis already fallen off? I see you didn't realize that you were on a wrong forum. You need to find a forum for psychiatric patients, with qualified psychologists and psychiatrists, who can answer your silly questions.

[WarLord]

Taka:

You didn’t mention if your performance problem resolved while you were off the drug.

The most common reported side effects of finasteride are loss of sex drive and the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. The incidence of these problems however is very small. For men taking finasteride for five years, the difference between the treatment group and the placebo group was only 0.3%. In comparison, the incidence of these complaints in men not on finasteride is as high as 10-15%, particularly for men over 40. Notably, 60% of patients experiencing a sexual side effect found that the problem resolved spontaneously, even if the drug was continued. I’m not aware of any reputable study that has associated a permanent sexual problem with the use of finasteride. Wikipedia is not a reliable source of medical information.

I’ve prescribed finasteride to many thousands of men, and less than 1% of my patients have complained about sexual problems. The only way to manage decreased libido is to decrease the dose of finasteride, or stop it altogether. For problems with performance, I usually prescribe Cialis or Viagra, which allows the continuation of finasteride as well as robust sexual performance.

I’m in my 10th year of finasteride use myself, and I continue to have the utmost confidence in its safety and effectiveness.

All that said, any side effect from any drug should be evaluated by a physician, preferably the one who prescribed the medication, so that other causes can be considered, and a treatment plan developed.

I hope that helps!

Sincerely,

The vast majority of men reporting "side effects" from finasteride is just making them up in their neurotic minds. In recent years, the flood of all those absurd "side effects" ceases to be funny. Consider that some psychotic donkeys start to report impotence even after minoxidil.

[jorbie]

Charger and Zao

操他妈的！你是恐怖分子！

[jorbie]

Hmmmmm.....

Thanks a lot for your post, Dr. Haber. You are truly taking a risk by posting your professional opinion, as I believe you are about to be the victim of a number of personal attacks! However, it is much appreciated to hear your thoughts.

There is really so much negativity out there about Propecia, but as you mentioned, people fail to realize that PFS has yet to be demonstrated in a clinical setting! Also, no data exists that proves that people are experiencing these side effects as a result of taking the drug. For all anybody knows everybody could be experiencing different medical problems and just believe Propecia caused them because it’s something they all had in common.

The word of a medical professional is much more powerful than a thousand anonymous know it all’s on a forum. Not to mention dr. Haber is using his real name, his picture, and basically putting his reputation on the line… Plus he himself and his own son are taking the medication! I don’t think any doctor would do this without having the utmost confidence in the drug. That’s why I sleep easy taking Propecia and enjoy the hair that is growing back thicker every day. I think many more people would be able to reap the same benefits if they just weren’t so damn afraid to try it.

Dr. Haber, among you and your colleagues, approximately how many patients total do you believe have been prescribed Propecia? I understand in an interview with Dr. Wasserbauer posted last year, she had prescribed Propecia to thousands of men without a single report of long term symptoms. I am wondering approximately how many men exist in your sample?

Thanks!

Charger- I've seen you on this forum before. You were bashing another doctor who claimed he had seen many men with long-term side effects due to Propecia. And you ripped him apart. Why doesn't his opinion matter, yet this Dr. Haber, who is pro-Propecia, get your utmost respect? If I didn't know better - I would think you had an agenda....

[SoothSayer]

In my search I have found anti-propecia posters, wishing the same side effects on users that promote the safe use of this drug. Which I think is a pretty nasty and mean thing to say to anyone, regardless of how you feel about the drug itself. So I wouldn't put this past some of them.

I have not seen anything of this sort in my online reading. On the contrary, I have seen a lot of ignorant people insult those who are suffering by telling them they are just hypochondriacs or fearmongerers. I could see why the discussion would become so heating and emotional especially when the stakes in question are so high.

Dr. Haber is entitled to his opinion, which I believe is well-intentioned, but I don't hold it to high standards or agree that he is even objective on the matter. If you look at this CV - you will see he spoke at a handful of roundtable discussions that were sponsored by Merck to which he was most likely handsomely compensated. This isn't really some vast conspiracy, but the pharmaceutical industry is infamous for devising ways to get physicians to drink from the kool-aid.

While he says there is no credible evidence that permanent side effects from finasteride exist, he does not seem to be well read on the subject. There are a handful of studies that exist, including the largest study conducted to date by Merck that shows evidence of such side effects. It has also been reported that the FDA has found enough evidence to conduct a routine investigation on the matter, which will hopefully settle the situation once and for all in the near future. In addition to all of the above, there are ongoing and completed studies that have shown evidence of such matters but have yet to be published.

I am against finasteride use for male pattern baldness but would certainly not wish side effects on Dr. Haber and especially not his son. It would be such a devastating outcome if his son become permanently disabled from a cosmetic drug prescribed by his father. Good luck.

[khan]

^I hope you're right, but maybe you are overestimating them. In my search I have found anti-propecia posters, wishing the same side effects on users that promote the safe use of this drug. Which I think is a pretty nasty and mean thing to say to anyone, regardless of how you feel about the drug itself. So I wouldn't put this past some of them.

[Zao]

I do not think that anyone will have the audacity to personally attack Dr. Haber for stating his honest opinion about a drug that he is willing to prescribe to his own son. The anti propecia camp would lose any credibility that they are attempting to establish if they would stoop so low.